Apparatus and system for securing cargo

ABSTRACT

A securement system includes a hook having a retaining clip, and an end cap that attaches to an end of a tubular structural member. The hook has a base with at least one channel having a lateral opening thereto. The clip is assembled with the hook such that the clip closes the lateral opening into the channel to define a longitudinal passageway through the hook. An elastic cord extends through the structural member, through the end cap and through the longitudinal passageway through the hook. A knot or some other stop is placed on the cord to prevent the end of the cord from moving through the passageway. The end cap includes V-shaped notches that receive and anchor the cord at desired positions to facilitate securement of cargo to the structural member.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to an apparatus and system for securely attachingcargo and the like to a support structure to prevent unwanted movementof the cargo relative to the support, for example during transport. Moreparticularly, this invention relates to an apparatus and system forsecuring cargo such as bicycles, luggage, ladders, hand trucks and thelike to support structures such as racks on motor vehicles, therebypreventing undesired movement of the cargo while the motor vehicle ismoving.

The invention also relates to various components of the securementsystem that may be used in other applications. For example, thesecurement system of the invention utilizes hooks that are capable ofbeing positioned at an intermediate position along a cord having twofixed ends, thereby being useful for securing a variety of devices.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Whenever cargo is transported on a moving vehicle it is essential thatthe cargo be securely attached to the vehicle. Without secure attachmentbetween the cargo and the vehicle, shifting or other movement of thecargo may occur as the vehicle moves, leading to damage to the cargo oreven to accidents in which not only may the cargo be damaged, but peoplemay be injured.

There are many methods for attaching cargo to vehicles, most of themethods depending upon the nature of the cargo and the kind of vehicletransporting the cargo. One of the most common methods of securingcargo, and one that is both useful and effective, is to strap the cargoto the vehicle, or to a rack on the vehicle, with one or more cargostraps. For instance, cargo may be supported on a vehicle rack and oneor more straps are connected between the cargo and the rack to provide asecure attachment and to prevent undesired movement of the cargo duringtransport.

The strap method is used with many kinds of cargoes and vehicles, fromlogs carried on logging trucks to relatively smaller cargo items such asboxes carried in the bed of a standard pick up truck. The use of strapsto tie cargo to a supporting structure is particularly useful withrelatively lighter cargoes such as bicycles, ladders, hand trucks,wheelbarrows and other light industrial tools that are attached to racksfor pick up trucks or car-top racks for automobiles.

However, a common problem encountered with using straps to secure cargoto a vehicle is that the straps are often misplaced or lost, or are notreadily available when the time comes for strapping the cargo to therack. As anyone who has experienced a lost cargo strap knows, a loststrap can be a significant inconvenience, as an inordinate amount oftime can be spent hunting for the lost strap. In addition, when securingcargo to a rack it is often necessary to have the strap immediatelyavailable at the time the cargo is loaded onto the rack, for instancewhen the strap itself provides part of the support system for the cargo.

In addition to the problems associated with lost or misplaced straps,another common problem is not having enough straps on hand to adequatelysecure the load to the vehicle. This problem is often a result of theproblem just described--lost or misplaced straps. That is, since strapsare often lost, there may not be enough of them available when the timecomes for them to be used. Regardless of the source of the problem, itis inconvenient to have too few straps available, and may lead to a loadbeing inadequately secured on a vehicle.

There is a need therefore for improved apparatus for securing cargo tosupports, and particularly apparatus that eliminates the problemsassociated with lost securing straps and not having enough straps tosecure the cargo.

Many cargo securement systems utilize a combination of safety hooks ofvarious shapes combined with elastic cords-commonly known as bungeecords. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,432,121 describes a safety hookhaving a guiding tunnel and an anchoring beak for securing the cord in afixed position on the hook. The beak forms an offset cavity with afacing wall of the base portion of the hook, and the beak is used togrip the cord when it is looped through the guiding tunnel and iscrimped within the beak. This system allows the position of the hook tobe adjusted along the length of the cord.

As another example of such a combination hook with bungee cord isdescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,317,788. That patent describes a hook thatis attached to the terminal end of a bungee cord and which has fingerholes molded into the body of the hook.

One further example of a hook and bungee device is shown in U.S. Pat.No. Des. 307,705. That patent illustrates a hook having a gated hook endand a base having one transversely open channel and one closed channel.The body of the hook includes a V-shaped opening for crimping thebungee. In use, a bungee is threaded through a channel in the base,through the V-shaped opening, and through the other channel. The hook issecured in place along the length of the cord by the crimping action ofthe V-shaped opening.

However, a problem commonly encountered with present securement systemssuch as those described in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 307,705 and 5,317,788 isthat it is impossible to position the hook in an intermediate positionalong the length of the bungee cord when the two ends of the cord arefixed. For example, an end of the cord used with the hook shown in Des.307,705 must be threaded through multiple openings, which of courserequires a free terminal end. With U.S. Pat. No. 5,317,788 the hook isfixed to a terminal end of the cord. And while it is possible with thehook shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,432,121 to position the hook on a cordbetween the two ends, it may be difficult to position the hook at anintermediate location when the cord is under any significant amount oftension. Many tarpaulins such as those used for camping have bungee cordthreaded through a series of grommets spaced around the periphery of thetarpaulin. To fix the tarpaulin in a useful configuration, such as alean-to, it is necessary to attach the tarpaulin to fixed objects atselected positions around the periphery by connecting the cord to thefixed object. It would be advantageous to be able to selectivelyposition a removable hook at any position around the tarpaulin.Positioning the hook of U.S. Pat. No. 4,432,121 at such an intermediateposition requires that a loop be formed in the cord and that the loop befed through the laterally closed channel through the base of the hook.This may be difficult if the cord is under significant tension.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a cargo-securement apparatus and system forsecuring cargo of various kinds to support structures such as motorvehicle racks. The apparatus comprises component parts that may be usedwith standard car top racks to provide a securement system that may beused to attach cargo to the racks. Elastic cord that is used to securethe cargo is carried in an elongate tubular member that is a componentpart of the rack. The cord extends through a passageway in an end pieceattached to an end of the tubular member. The end piece includes one ormore V-shaped notches that function as a pinch or crimping point forbinding the cord when it is extended to a desired length. A removablehook is attached to the cord outwardly of the end piece. When thesecurement system is not in use it is retracted such that the hook restsagainst an outer end of the tubular member.

When there is a need to secure the cargo to the rack, the adjustablecord is extended out of the tubular member to a selected length, crimpedin a selected V-shaped notch in the end piece to anchor the cordrelative to the end piece, and the hook is attached either directly orindirectly to the cargo to securely attach the cargo to the rack.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the hooks thatare used in the securement system are capable of being attached to abungee cord at any position between the two ends of the cord. The hooksinclude a body having a base portion with one or more channels, each ofwhich has a lateral opening thereto. With the cord inserted into thechannel a removable clip is positioned around the base of the hook toclose the lateral opening into the channel or channels, and to therebylock the cord within the channels.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top perspective, exploded view of the securement system ofthe present invention showing the components of the system.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional elevational view of a clip of the presentinvention taken along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of a first embodiment of the hook of thepresent invention with the clip in place on the hook.

FIG. 4 is a is a top perspective view of the hook of the presentinvention with the clip in place on the hook.

FIG. 5 is a is a bottom plan view of a second embodiment of the hook ofthe present invention with the clip in place on the hook.

FIG. 6 is a bottom perspective view of the hook shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional elevational view taken along the line 7--7of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a top perspective view of a second embodiment of a clipaccording to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a top perspective view of a first embodiment of an end capaccording to the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a top perspective view of a second embodiment of an end capaccording to the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a cross sectional view of the assembled securement systemillustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 12 is a schematic representation of an elastic cord seated in anend cap of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a top exploded perspective view of an alternative embodimentof the hook and clip of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a bottom perspective view of another alternative embodimentof a hook according to the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a top exploded perspective view of another alternativeembodiment of the hook and clip according to the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a top exploded perspective view of yet another alternativeembodiment of the hook and clip of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a cross sectional elevational view taken along the line17--17 of FIG. 16.

FIG. 18 is a top perspective view of the hook embodiment shown in FIG.16 shown with the cord.

FIG. 19 is a top perspective view of the hook embodiment shown in FIG.16 shown with the cord in an alternate orientation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Securement System Overview

A preferred embodiment of the securement system 10 of the presentinvention is shown in FIG. 1 in an exploded view with the componentsseparated. The securement system includes a hook 12, a retaining clip50, and an end cap 100 that attaches to an end of a tubular structuralmember 150 that is a component of a vehicle rack or some otherstructural member. For example, member 150 is typically a cross bar on acar top rack or a structural component of, for instance, a rack for apickup truck. However, the structural member could be virtually anytubular member that is a part of a rack system of even a component of apiece of cargo, so the securement system of the present invention is notlimited to use with vehicle racks. For instance, the structural membercould be a component of a device such as a hand truck or a wheelbarrow.

A cord 14 (typically though not necessarily an elastic bungee-typecord--the cord need not be elastic) extends through a channel in hook12, through end cap 100, and through the hollow interior of member 150.As described below, the one terminal end 15 of the cord shown in FIG. 1is knotted or otherwise enlarged--for instance with a folded oversection that has been crimped--to prevent the cord end from passingthrough the channel in the hook. The opposite terminal end of cord 14,which is not shown in FIG. 1, is fixed either within the tubular memberor extends through a like securement system at the opposite end ofmember 150. Although in most instances cord 14 will be of thebungee-type, cords formed of other material may also be adapted for usewith the present invention.

The components of the securement system are preferably manufactured of astrong, lightweight plastic material that may be molded into the desiredshapes. However, the components may be manufactured of other materialssuch as nylon or metal, or combinations of these materials. Theselection of the particular materials used to fabricate the componentsof the system depends upon the particular use for which the system isbeing manufactured, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.For instance, if the components are to be manufactured from a plasticmaterial, the specific type of plastic will depend upon factors such asstrength requirements, desired resistance to chemicals, environmentalconsiderations including the type and range of temperatures in which thecomponents will be used, and other factors specific to a particularapplication.

System Components

Hook 12

A first embodiment of hook 12 is illustrated in FIGS. 1, 3 through 7,and 11. In FIGS. 3 through 5 and 11 the retaining clip 50 is shownpositioned around the base of the hook.

Referring to FIG. 1, hook 12 includes a curved hook section designatedwith reference number 16 and defining an opening into the hook. Hook 12further includes a shank section designated with reference number 18,and a base section designated with reference number 20. Hook end 22 ofhook 12 includes a pair of transverse outwardly projecting knobs 24a,24b. Although not shown in the figures, a gate similar to a well-knowncarabiner gate may be included with the hook 12 for closing the openinginto the curved section of the hook to thereby secure the hook toanother object, or to confine an object such as a cord in the hook andprevent the confined object from escaping out of the hook. If such agate is provided, the gate is pivotally mounted in paired recesses 26 onshank 18 (only one of which is shown in FIG. 1) and projects toward hookend 22. The gate includes recessed portions on the outer end that areconfigured and positioned to engage the outwardly projecting knobs 24aand 24b when the gate is moved into a position where it closes theopening into the hook.

Hook 12 is shown including plural recesses 28a, 28b and 28c along thecurved and shank sections of the hook body. These recesses are forstructural purposes only and may be omitted or the position and numberof the recesses may be varied.

In the preferred embodiment the base section 20 of hook 12 is generallyrectangular, although the general shape of the base may be varied. Theoutwardly facing side walls 30 of base 20 slope outwardly and downwardlyfrom the upper portion of the base where the shank section 18 of thehook meets the base section and terminate at an outwardly projecting lip38 extending around the lowermost portion of the base. The outwardlyprojecting lip 38 defines a peripheral shoulder area 39 extending arounda major portion of the base.

A channel 32 formed through base 18 on the hook end 22 side of hook 12has an opening along its entire length defining a lateral opening 34into the channel 32. As shown in FIG. 1 and as described in more detailbelow, the lateral opening 34 into channel 32 allows cord 14 to beinserted laterally into channel 32. The uppermost end of channel 32(i.e., the end of channel 32 nearest the point where base 20 meets shank18) is formed into a smooth concave shoulder 36, the function of whichis to receive and seat the knotted, crimped or precrimped cord when thecord extends through channel 32 and tension is applied to the cord.Channel 32 further defines two legs 35a and 35b in base section 20, oneon either side of the lateral opening 34 into channel 32.

An outwardly projecting flange 44 is formed on side wall 30 of base 20.A similar flange may be formed on any one or more of the side walls, andthe flange itself may extend partially across the side wall, as shown inFIG. 1, or alternately may extend completely around the base. Thepurpose of flange 44 is detailed below.

As best illustrated in FIG. 7, which is a cross sectional view throughhook 12, concave shoulder 36 extends completely around the uppermost endof the channel 32.

Again referring to FIG. 7, it may be seen that the side walls 30 of base20 are sloped or beveled at an angle a, which in the preferredembodiment is a slope of approximately 100. The function of the slopedside walls is described more thoroughly below, but generally stated, theside walls frictionally engage cooperatively sloped or beveled sidewalls of the retaining clip 50 when the clip is assembled with the hooksuch that the clip encircles the base of the hook to thereby confine thecord within the passageway through the hook.

With reference to FIGS. 3, 5, 6 and 7, the bottom or lowermost surface40 of hook 12 includes a raised platform 42 that protrudes away fromsurface 40. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, platform 42 isrectangular. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 platform 42 iscircular. As detailed hereinafter, the particular shape of platform42--rectangular or circular or other--is dictated by the shape of acorresponding recessed area formed in end cap 100 into which theplatform is received when the hook is in a nested position in the endcap.

Hook 12 may be manufactured in various sizes to accommodate varioususes. In addition, the size of the hook may be varied relative to thesize of the base. However, regardless of the particular size of the hookand/or the base, platform 42 is formed in a size such that the platformwill be received into the recessed area in the end cap.

As may be best seen in FIG. 7, which is a sectional view through theentire hook, the hook end of the hook and the shank generally lie in asingle plane, which may be defined as the longitudinal plane shown inthe sectional view of FIG. 7. The channel 32 through the base of thehook defines a longitudinal axis extending through the base of the hook.In the preferred embodiment, the longitudinal axis through the basedefined by channel 32 is parallel to the plane defined by the hook, asdescribed above.

The location of the channel formed through base 20 may be varied asshown in FIG. 13. In that figure, the lateral opening 34 into channel 32is formed through a different wall portion of base 20 than theembodiment shown in FIG. 1. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 13 theassociated clip 50 includes a tab 62 that has been positioned on theinterior surface 60 of wall 56a in a position to correspond to thelocation of lateral opening 34. As with the embodiment of FIG. 1, tab 62shown in FIG. 13 is positioned such that when the clip is positionedaround the base the tab closes the lateral opening into channel 32,defining an open longitudinal passageway through the base having openopposite ends. Cord 14 extends through the passageway. When the clip isin place, the clip prevents the cord from moving laterally out of thepassageway.

The spatial orientation of the hook 12 relative to the base 20 may bevaried. For instance, in FIG. 14, which illustrates an alternativeembodiment of the orientation of the hook relative to the base, hook end22 of hook 12 is shown such that channel 32 is oriented on opposite sideof the hook as that shown in FIG. 1. In addition to the orientation ofthe hook shown in FIG. 14, which illustrates a rotation of the hook of180° about the longitudinal axis generally defined by channel 32, thehook may be rotated relative to the base by any amount, such that thehook may be positioned in intermediate positions along this axis.Further, the hook may be tilted relative to the base such that thelongitudinal axis defined by the hook is canted relative to thelongitudinal axis defined by channel 32.

The shape of base 20 shown in FIG. 1 is generally rectangular. However,the shape of the base may be varied. For instance, the base of the hookcould be square or round.

Clip 50

The securement system of the present invention may be utilized with atleast two different embodiments of retaining clips, the function ofwhich is described below, but which may generally be stated to be toencircle or engage the base 20 of hook 12 and to occlude the lateralopening into channel 32 to define a passageway through the clip havingopen opposite ends. Stated otherwise, clip 50 functions to close lateralopening 34 into channel 32, thereby defining a passageway through thebase of the hook having open opposite ends.

A first embodiment of a clip 50 is shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 5. Thisembodiment shows a "split clip" which includes an opening 52 in one endof the clip defining a lateral opening into the interior of the clip.The second embodiment of clip 50 is shown in FIG. 8. This secondembodiment is identical to the first embodiment except that it lacks theopening 52 in one end of the clip and therefore does not have a lateralopening into the interior of the clip.

Clip 50 is preferably manufactured of a plastic material identical tohook 12, although like hook 12 it may be made of other materials such asnylon or metal. The clip may also be formed of one material and the hookformed of a different material. As with hook 12, the particular materialselected for clip 50 will depend upon the particular application thatthe clip is being used for.

Clip 50 illustrated in FIG. 1 generally defines a rectangular memberhaving a base wall 54, two opposite side walls 56a, 56b, and an end wall58 opposite base wall 54. In the first embodiment of clip 50--that is,the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 5, an opening 52 is formed inbase wall 58 at about the midpoint along the length of the base wall.Clip 50 has an open interior defining a rectangular opening, which isdefined by interior surfaces 60 of the walls of the clip.

As noted above, the shape of base 20 may be other than the generallyrectangular shape shown in the Figures. As will be appreciated, whateverthe particular configuration of base 20, the open interior of clip 50that is used with the base will be formed in a cooperative shape so thatthe clip may encircle and engage the base.

A tab 62 may formed on the interior surface of base wall 54. Tab 62extends into the open interior from the clip and projects inwardlytoward end wall 58 to define two leg-receiving slots 63a, 63b, one oneither side of the tab. When clip 50 is in position around the base 20of hook 12 (FIG. 4), tab 62 extends partially into channel 32 in thebase of the hook and legs 35a and 35b are received into theleg-receiving slots 63a and 63b, respectively, thereby closing thelateral opening 34 into channel 32 and thus defining a longitudinalpassageway through hook 12 through which cord 14 extends, as shown inFIG. 1. The passageway thus formed has open opposite ends with nolateral opening into the passageway. The face or wall portion of tab 62that faces channel 32 when clip 50 is in position around the base of thehook is identified with reference number 65 (FIG. 2). As illustrated inFIGS. 3 and 5, the width of tab 62 is slightly less than the width ofthe lateral opening into channel 32 such that tab 62 is received intothe lateral opening.

The length of tab 62 may be varied to effectively vary the diameter ofthe passageway through hook 12 when the clip is assembled with the hook.Increasing the length of tab 62 will result in a corresponding decreasein the dimension of the passageway. Stated otherwise, increasing thelength of tab 62 moves wall 65 further into channel 32 when the clip isassembled with the hook as shown in FIG. 4, thereby effectively reducingthe diameter of the channel. Conversely, decreasing the length of tab 62will result in a corresponding increase in the dimension of thepassageway. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 16, the tab may be eliminated.By selectively increasing or decreasing the length of tab 62 and therebyselectively and correspondingly increasing or decreasing the dimensionof the passageway, hook 12 may be adapted to accept different sizes ofcord 14.

The varying lengths of tab 62 are illustrated in Fig.2 with the dashedlines showing reference numerals 62a, 62b. In use, the clip that is usedwill depend upon the particular size cord 14. Further, the inwardlyfacing wall 65 of tab 62 may be angled as illustrated in FIG. 2 with thedashed line labeled 65a, or formed in a stair-step fashion as shown with65b.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, the interior walls 60 of clip50 are sloped or beveled at an angle a, which in the preferredembodiment is approximately 10°. All of the interior walls 60 of clip 50are formed at the same angle a with the exception of the three sidewalls of tab 62 (except as noted above in those instances when the wall65 is sloped). As shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, and as noted above, the slopedside walls 30 of base 20 of hook 12 are similarly sloped at an angle α,which is the same as the angle of the interior walls of clip 50. Asshown in various Figures in which the clip is illustrated in position onhook 12, and particularly in FIG. 11, it will be appreciated that theinterior walls of clip 50 are sloped in the opposite direction from thesloped side walls 30 of base 20 to facilitate frictional mating betweenthe surfaces of the side walls of the base and the interior walls of theclip. Regardless of the particular angle of the slope of side walls 30,the interior surfaces of clip 50 that mate with the side walls will besloped at the same angle with the appropriate orientation.

As best shown in FIGS. 4 and 11, clip 50 is assembled with hook 12 suchthat the clip fits around base 20 and side walls 30 with tab 62extending partially into opening 34 to channel 32 and with legs 35a and35b received into leg-receiving slots 63a and 63b, respectively. Whenclip 50 is in this position on hook 12, tab 62 occludes lateral opening34, thereby closing the lateral opening into channel 32 but defining alongitudinally open passageway through the combination of the hook andthe clip having open opposite ends, as noted above.

Clip 50 is assembled onto hook 12 by inserting the hook end 22 of thehook through the open interior of clip 50. Clip 50 must of course beoriented relative to hook 12 such that when the clip is assembled withthe hook the sloped walls of the clip orient properly with the slopedside walls of the base of the hook--that is, as shown in FIG. 11, insuch a manner that the side walls, which slope in opposite directions,mate. The clip is sized so that the interior walls of the clip mate withthe sloped side walls of the base. Because the interior walls 60 of clip50 are sloped or beveled at the same angle a as the slope of side walls30 of base section 20, the clip frictionally engages the sloped sidewalls of the base of the hook when the clip is assembled onto the hook.As shown in FIGS. 4 and 11, when the clip is in the assembled positionon hook 12, the lowermost surface 51 of clip 50 lies adjacent to orabuts outwardly projecting lip 38, although there is no need for thelowermost edge of the clip to actually contact the lip. The frictionalengagement between the clip and the hook is sufficient to prevent theclip from moving out of the position shown in FIG. 11, even whensignificant force is applied to the clip in the direction of the arrowin FIG. 11. As such, the projecting lip 38 is an optional feature. Theprojecting lip does nonetheless provide a secondary restraint againstthe clip moving downwardly over the base of the hook in the direction ofthe arrow in FIG. 11.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, when clip 50 is assembled with hook 12 theuppermost inner edge 47 of the clip lies adjacent to and beneath flange44. Since clip 50 is somewhat resilient, when it is assembled onto thehook the clip snap fits under the flange. Therefore, flange 44 functionsas a stop to prevent the clip from moving out of engagement with thehook in the upward direction (i.e., the direction opposite the arrow inFIG. 11). This insures that the clip will remain in engagement with thehook in normal operating conditions. Flange 44 is an optional feature.Nonetheless, it will be appreciated that the stop function of the flangecould be accomplished with any number of equivalent structures for theflange. Again, because the clip is somewhat resilient, it may bedisassembled from the hook but disassembly requires that the clip bemoved over the engagement with the flange with some amount of force.

While the preferred angle a is about 10°, the angle may be variedwidely. Nonetheless, the angle a is the same for both the side walls 30of hook 12 and the interior walls 60 of clip 50, although the directionthat the walls of each component are sloped is opposite of one another,as discussed above.

In addition, although not shown in the Figures, an optional retainingclip may be used with clips 50 having an opening 52, as shown in FIGS. 1and 2. The retaining clip is removable and extends across opening 52 tojoin the two sides of the passageway together. Although clip 50 issufficiently strong to prevent the opposite side walls 56a and 56b fromseparating, even when pulled apart, the optional retaining clip providesadded security.

End Cap 100

Two embodiments of end cap 100 are shown in FIGS. 9 and 10,respectively. The particular embodiment of an end cap used in anyparticular situation depends upon the cross sectional configuration ofthe tubular structural member 150 with which the securement system isbeing used (FIG. 1). For example, structural member 150 in FIG. 1 isrectangular in cross section. Accordingly, end cap 100, which isattached to an end of member 150, is of like configuration, as shown inFIGS. 1 and 9. However, when structural member 150 is, for example,round in cross section, an end cap having a round cross sectionalconfiguration is used, as shown in FIG. 10. Moreover, the particularshape of the end cap is not dependent upon the cross sectionalconfiguration of the structural member. For example, a round end capsuch as that illustrated in FIG. 10 could be configured for use with astructural member having a square cross section.

With reference to FIG. 9, end cap 100 is designed and sized to engageand fit over or into the end of the structural member. The end cap maybe attached to the end of the structural member in any well-knownmanner, for instance with a pressure fit collar that engages thestructural member either internally or externally, or both, or with anappropriately sized peripheral channel formed in the cap, or with athreaded segment that is threaded into the structural member. In FIG. 11the end cap is shown attached to the end of the structural member with aperipheral channel that forms a slot for receiving the end of thestructural member. If desired, end cap 100 may be secured in place onthe end of the structural member with a screw.

An open passageway 102 extends through the interior of end cap 100 insuch a position that passageway 102 aligns with the hollow interior ofthe tubular structural member when the end cap is in place on the end ofthe member (FIG. 11). As detailed below, passageway 102 allows cord 14to pass from the tubular member through the end cap. Furthermore, manystandard commercially available bungee-type cords include hooks thathave a coiled base that include a passageway through which the cordextends. An end of the cord is inserted through the passageway throughthe coiled base and is crimped in a folded-over position to form anenlarged portion. The enlarged portion is larger than the diameter ofthe passageway so the end of the cord is unable to move through thepassageway, thereby connecting the cord to the hook. The passageway 102through end cap 100 is sized to accept the coiled base section of mostcommercially available bungee-type cords having coiled bases, so the endcap may be used with such cords.

One or more V-shaped notches or grooves 104 are formed around theperiphery of the end cap in an outwardly projecting flange 106. The endcap shown in FIG. 9 includes two V-shaped notches 104 positioned onopposite sides of the end cap in flange 106. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 10 there are four V-shaped notches 104 positioned around theperiphery of the end cap in flange 106. The number and positions of theV-shaped notches is not critical and depend upon the shape of the endcap. The apex of the V-shaped notches, which for purposes herein isdefined as the culmination of the two sides of the V, is sloped in thedirection from the interior of the end cap toward the exterior, and inthe direction from the uppermost edge of flange 106 to the lowermostedge of the end cap. The sloping apex and the direction in which itslopes, may best be seen in FIG. 12, and may also be seen in FIGS. 9 and10. The size of the V-shaped notch is variable depending upon factorssuch as the relative size of cord. Thus, while a single sized V-shapednotch will anchor multiple sizes of cord, when for instance a very largecord is being used, a relatively larger V-shaped notch may be used.

The inner-facing surfaces of the V-shaped notches may be modified toprovide more frictional resistance between the cord and the end cap. Forinstance, the surface may be roughened or grooved.

The portion of the end cap located inward of flange 106 defines aflattened base region 108 surrounding passageway 102. A recessedperipheral shoulder 110 is formed around the outer marginal end ofpassageway 102 adjacent flattened region 108 and in position to receivedthe platform 42 on the bottom surface 40 of hook 12 when the hook ispositioned adjacent the end cap, as best illustrated in FIG. 11. Theposition of the peripheral shoulder 110 is such that hook 12 is centeredon the end cap when platform 42 is received within shoulder 110, andbottom surface 40 of the clip rests on the flattened base region 108.The peripheral shape of shoulder 110 is made to match the peripheralshape of the platform 42 on the hook that is used with the end cap.Thus, if a hook such as that shown in FIG. 3 with a rectangular platform42 is used, the end cap would have a rectangular shoulder 110 sized toreceive platform 42.

Assembly

FIG. 11 shows a cross sectional view of the assembled securement system.The securement system is assembled by first selecting a clip 50 having atab 62 with a length appropriate for the diameter of the particular cord14 that is being used. For example, bungee cords are available withvarious cross sectional diameters; the larger the size of the cord, thestronger the cord tends to be. Thus, larger cords are used to securelarger loads. A clip 50 having a opening 52 into the clip (FIG. 1), or aclip 50 as shown in FIG. 8 may be used, depending upon the particularapplication.

Cord 14 extends through the hollow interior of the tubular structuralmember 150. The end of cord 14 opposite the securement system shown inFIG. 1 is fixed, either to the structural member itself or, for example,at a second securement assembly located at the opposite lateral end ofthe structural member. For example, if the structural member 150 is across bar for a car-top rack, each end of the structural member could befitted with the combination of an end cap 100, a hook 12 and a clip 50.If the interior of structural member 150 is rough or may be prone toabrade cord 14, a smooth liner or sleeve may be inserted into theinterior of the structural member to prevent abrasion of the cord.

In some instances, end 15 of cord 14 will be located in the internalportion of the structural member, inwardly of the end cap, when the cordis in a resting or non-extended position. In this instance a pull-stringmay be attached to the end of the cord and extended outwardly throughthe end cap to allow the cord to be pulled outwardly when desired.

End 15 of cord 14 extends out of structural member 150 and throughpassageway 102 in end cap 100. The exposed portion of cord 14--that is,the section of cord 14 external to structural member 150 and end cap100, is inserted laterally into channel 32 through the lateral opening34 into the channel. Alternatively, if a free end 15 of the cord isavailable, the free end may be threaded through the channel. Theselected clip 50, having as noted above a tab with a length appropriatefor the selected cord 14, is then looped over the hook end 22 of hook 12in the manner described above, and is moved along the length of the hookin the direction of base 20. The cord is then inserted into the openinterior of the clip by either passing the cord through lateral opening52, or by inserting end 15 of cord 14 into and through the open interiorof clip 50. The clip is then seated on base 20 as shown in FIGS. 4 and11. When clip 50 is in this position on base 20, the clip closes thelateral opening into channel 32, thus capturing cord 14 within channel32 and preventing the cord from moving laterally out of the passagewaydefined by channel 32. The cord is then pulled through channel 32 to thedesired length and a knot as shown in FIGS. 1 and 11 is formed at thedesired position, which in FIGS. 1 and 11 is shown near the terminal end15 of cord 14. Alternatively, a mechanical stop could be fixed to thecord at the desired position. The desired length of cord that determineswhere the cord will be knotted typically would be an amount sufficientto provide some amount of tension to be exerted on the cord in thedirection of the arrow in FIG. 11. However, in some instances it mightbe desirable to have a greater length of cord external to the tubularstructural member, for instance when the cord will extend a relativelygreater distance outward of the structural member.

Alternatively, the cord may be inserted into the open interior of theclip--either by passing the cord through lateral opening 52, or byinserting the end of the cord into and through the open interior of theclip--and the combination of the clip and cord are then assembled withthe hook as described above.

In many instances it is desirable to utilize a pre-knotted cord. Thatis, a cord having knots formed in selected locations. With such a cordthe hook of the present invention may be positioned at a desiredlocation on the cord, with the cord inserted laterally into channel 32as described, prior to assembling the clip onto the hook.

As shown in FIG. 11, when there is tension exerted on the cord in thedirection of the arrow in the Figure, the knot in the cord seats on theconcave shoulder 36 formed near the uppermost limit of channel 32. Thecombination of the concave shoulder 36 and tab 62 forms a stop thatprevents the knot from moving longitudinally through the passageway inthe direction of the arrow, even when a great deal of tension is appliedto cord 14. Because clip 50 is frictionally fixed to base 20 with thesloped interior surfaces of the side walls of the clip mating with thesloped side walls of the base, the clip can not move in the direction ofthe arrow in FIG. 11. The combination of the clip and the base of thehook thus function as a stop for the end of the cord, restrainingmovement of the cord relative to the hook. However, when tension isrelieved from cord 14 the clip may be removed from its assembledposition on hook 12 to thereby release cord 14 from the assembly and toremove the cord from the hook.

If a clip 50 having a sloped wall 65a or stair-stepped wall 65b (FIG. 1)is used, the knot in the cord will seat on the concave shoulder 36 in arelatively lower position relative to the base than with the clip 50described above.

The side walls 56a and 56b of clip 50 are somewhat resilient and may bespread apart slightly to increase the size of opening 52 through endwall 58 to thereby allow a cord to be passed laterally through opening52. However, the side walls are stiff enough that clip 50 must beassembled with hook 12 in the manner described above.

With the securement system assembled as shown in FIG. 11, the hook isseated in end cap 100. Because cord 14 is elastomeric, hook 12 may bepulled outwardly away from end cap 100, thereby stretching cord 14. Cord14 may then be laterally inserted into a selected one of the V-shapednotches 104 in end cap 100. The V-shaped notches 104 function as anchorpoints or pinch points for fixing the cord relative to the notch.

With reference to FIG. 12, if the longitudinal axis defined by cord 14when in tubular structure 150 is defined as the 0° reference angle, thenthe V-shaped notches will anchor the cord and restrain its movementrelative to the notches when the cord is inserted into a V-shaped notchand the cord is angled relative the 0° reference angle by any angle β,which is defined as the anchoring angle. Angle β will vary with suchfactors as the amount of tension applied to the cord, the size of thecord relative to the size of the V-shaped notch, and the relativematerials that the cord and the end cap are made of. However, in mostinstances the cord will be anchored in the V-shaped notch when anchoringangle P is less than about 75° from the 0° reference angle. Furthermore,once the cord is anchored in the V-shaped notch it will tend to stayanchored in the notch without the need to reset the anchor even if theangle β is changed. Although not shown in FIG. 12, a hook 12 would beattached to the end of cord 14, and the hook would in turn be attachedeither directly or indirectly to an item of cargo.

With cord 14 inserted into a V-shaped notch, the cord is anchored at thepoint where it is inserted into the notch. As tension is applied to thecord by pulling on hook 12, the cord remains anchored in the V-shapednotch provided the angle at which the cord is deflected is less thanabout 75° from the 0° reference angle. This allows the hook to be pulledunder tension to a desired position and attached either directly to anitem of cargo, or indirectly to cargo and other parts of, for instance,a vehicle and or the rack. The V-shaped notches allow for a high degreeof flexibility in the length of cord that is extended outwardly from thetubular member, and thus flexibility in the amount of tension that isapplied to the cord.

In most instances the cargo that is being secured to the structuralmember is located on the structural member at a point inwardly from thesecurement assembly. For instance, consider the case where thestructural member is a crossbar of a roof top rack for an automobile andthe cargo is a bicycle. In that case the bicycle could be positionedanywhere between the two opposite ends of the crossbar. By insertingcord 14 into a selected V-shaped notch and connecting hook 12 to thebicycle the cord is typically deflected at an angle of less than about75° from the 0° reference angle. As such, the cord will be anchored inthe V-shaped notch. It will be appreciated that in most instances thecargo that is being secured will be located at such a position that thecord may be thus anchored in a V-shaped notch before the hook isconnected to the cargo.

The components of the present invention are well suited to be used invarious alternative uses. For example, the hook 12 and clip 50 may beused in situations where it is desirable to connect a hook to a cordthat has both ends fixed. In this instance a clip 50 having a opening52, as shown in FIG. 2, must be utilized. With both ends of a cord 14fixed, hook 12 is positioned at a selected position intermediate betweenthe two fixed ends. The cord is passed laterally into channel 32 throughthe lateral opening 34. Similarly, the cord is then passed laterallythrough opening 52 of clip 50, which has been oriented relative to theclip so that the clip will seat properly on the hook, and which has beenselected with a tab 62 of the length appropriate for the size of thecord. With the cord extending through the open interior of the correctlyoriented clip, the clip is then looped over the hook as described aboveand moved along the length of the hook until the clip is seated on thebase of the hook with the cord entrapped in channel 32. The hook may bedisengaged from the cord by removing the clip from its engaging positionon the hook and removing the cord through the thus open lateral opening34.

In most instances a cord having both ends fixed will not haveintermediate knots formed therein that would seat in concave shoulder 36of hook 12. Of course, if such a knot is present then it may be used tofix the position of the hook relative to the cord. But if such knots arenot present and it is desirable to fix the position of the hook relativeto the cord, stops may be affixed to the cord in a position such thatthe stop rests in concave shoulder 36. A stop also could be affixed tothe cord on the opposite side of the hook adjacent the bottom surface ofthe base.

The ability to place the hook of the present invention at any pointalong a cord intermediate between two fixed ends is advantageous in manyapplications. As one example, the present hook may be used with dropcloths and tarpaulins that include grommets with a cord running throughthe grommets, and being fixed on opposite ends.

As yet another alternative, multiple cords may be installed with thesecurement apparatus shown in FIG. 1. For instance, two or more cords 14may be placed within the interior of structural member 150 such thatthey lie parallel to the single cord 14 shown in FIG. 1, and such thatthey extend through end cap 100. A hook 12 may be attached to theterminal end of any one or more of such cords, but of course when morethan one cord extends through end cap 100, none of the hooks will seatas shown in FIG. 11.

An alternate embodiment of a hook and clip according to the presentinvention is shown in FIG. 15. In that embodiment, channel 32 throughthe hook includes a lateral opening 34 into the channel. The clip,however, is formed as a gate 174, which is configured to slide into apair of slots 176a, 176b formed in the base of the hook on oppositeinner sides of lateral opening 34. When the gate is slid into the slots,the gate closes the lateral opening 34 into channel 32 to thereby definea longitudinal passageway through the hook having open opposite ends.Gate 174 includes opposite outwardly projecting arms 178a and 178b, eachhaving a shoulder 182 formed near the lowermost portion of the arm, anda tab 180.

The hook and clip embodiment illustrated in FIG. 15 is assembled byinserting gate 174 into the hook such that the outwardly projecting arms178 are slid into slots 176. The gate is slid downwardly into the slotsuntil shoulders 182 abut cooperative stepped shoulders 184 in the slotsformed near the lowermost portion of the channels. When the gate is thusassembled with the hook the gate occludes the lateral opening 34 intochannel 32 to define a passageway through the hook having open oppositeends. The abutting shoulders 182 and 184 form a stop that prevents thegate from moving downwardly relative to the hook, even when tension isapplied to a cord contained in the passageway through the hook. Althoughnot shown in FIG. 15, as discussed above with reference to flange 44, asimilar stop mechanism could be included with the embodiment of FIG. 15to prevent the gate from moving out of its assembled position with thehook.

Tab 180 on gate 174 extends partially into channel 34 and thus definesthe diameter of the passageway through the hook. The size of tab 180 maybe varied as described above to accommodate cords of varying sizes.

It will be appreciated that with the embodiment of FIG. 15, the cord maybe inserted laterally into channel 32 prior to the assembly of the gatewith the hook, which entraps the cord in the thus-formed passageway.Alternately, a free end of a cord may be threaded through the passagewayformed when the gate is in place, with the free end of the cord thenbeing knotted to prevent it from moving back through the passageway.

The hook of the present invention is not limited to having a singlepassageway formed through the base for accommodating the cord. Forinstance, the embodiment of the hook and clip shown in FIGS. 16 through19 includes a pair of channels through the base such that the cord maybe looped over the base. Specifically with reference to FIG. 16, hook 12includes two channels 32a and 32b located on opposite sides of base 30.Each of these two channels is laterally open along the entire length ofthe channel through lateral openings 34a and 34b, respectively. The twochannels 32a and 32b define a bridge 37 extending between the twochannels. In FIGS. 16 through 19 the two channels 32a and 32b arelocated directly opposite one another on opposite sides of the base ofthe clip. However, the channels could be offset from one another ifdesired.

Referring to FIG. 17 it may be seen that the uppermost surface of bridge37 between channels 32a and 32b is rounded. As described below, the cordruns over this uppermost surface when the hook is assembled with thecord. However, the uppermost surface of the bridge may also be formedinto an upwardly projecting apex. A recessed notch 41 is formed in thelowermost surface of base 30 and surrounding channel 32b. The recessednotch is configured for-receiving the knotted end of the cord.

When clip 50 is assembled onto hook 12 as shown in the dashed lines inFIG. 17 the clip closes the lateral openings 34a and 34b into channels32a and 32b, thereby defining a pair of passageways through the hook,each passageway being laterally closed but being longitudinally open andhaving open opposite ends. Referring to FIG. 18 (in which the clip isomitted) it will be appreciated that prior to assembly of the clip withthe hook, cord 14 may be inserted laterally into channel 32a throughlateral opening 34a, looped over bridge 37, then inserted laterally intochannel 32b through lateral opening 34b. The free end of the cord (notshown) may then be knotted and clip 50 may be assembled onto the hook(FIG. 17). Because clip 50 closes the lateral openings into thechannels, the clip thus entraps the cord in the two passageways. Theknotted end of the cord is at least partially received into notch 41.The combination of the knotted cord bearing against the lower surface ofthe base and the binding effect of the cord as it makes a 180 turn overbridge 37 prevents the cord from being pulled out of the hook whentension is applied to the hook in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 18.

Referring to FIG. 19 (again shown with the clip omitted), with theembodiment of hook shown in FIG. 16 it may be seen that the cord 14 maybe oriented on the hook such that the cord is inserted into channel 32athrough lateral opening 34a, looped around the back side of the hook asshown in the Figure, then inserted into channel 32b through lateralopening 34b.

While the present invention has been described in terms of a preferredembodiment, it will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill that thespirit and scope of the invention is not limited to those embodiments,but extend to the various modifications and equivalents as defined inthe appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A hook, comprising:a body having a curved portiondefining a hook, a shank adjacent the curved portion, and a lower baseadjacent the shank; a channel formed through the base for receiving acord, the channel including a lateral opening into the channel along theentire length thereof through which the cord is laterally insertableinto the channel, and a clip attachable to the base to close the lateralopening when the clip is attached to the base to thereby define apassageway through the base having open opposite ends.
 2. The hookaccording to claim 1 including a plurality of channels formed throughthe base, each of said channels including a lateral opening into thechannel along the entire length thereof through which the cord may beinserted laterally into the channel, and wherein the clip closes thelateral opening into each of said channels when the clip is attached tothe base to thereby define a plurality of passageways through the base,each passageway having open opposite ends.
 3. The hook according toclaim 1 wherein the lower base portion includes outwardly facing wallsthat are sloped outwardly in the direction from the upper portion ofsaid base where the base is adjacent the shank and extending toward tothe lowermost edge of said base, and wherein the clip comprises a memberhaving an open interior defined by inwardly facing walls and wherein theclip is configured to engaged said base with said inwardly facing wallsof the clip frictionally mating against said outwardly facing walls ofsaid base.
 4. The hook according to claim 3 wherein the clip includes alateral opening through a selected one of said walls into said openinterior through which said cord may be inserted laterally into saidopen interior.
 5. The hook according to claim 3 wherein the combinationof the clip and the base define a stop for restraining movement of thecord relative to the hook.
 6. The hook according to claim 1 wherein theclip includes a tab having a length and a width, the width of the tabbeing less than the width of the lateral opening into the channel suchthat the tab may be inserted at least partially into the channel whenthe clip is attached to the base, and wherein the length of the tabdefines the diameter of the passageway through the base.
 7. The hookaccording to claim 6 wherein the diameter of the passageway may bevaried by varying the length of the tab.
 8. In a hook for use with anelastic cord, the hook having a hook body having a curved portionforming a hook having an open end, an adjacent shank portion and a lowerbase portion adjacent the shank portion, the improvement comprising:atleast one laterally open channel formed through the base portion, saidchannel being laterally open along the entire length of said channel; astop attachable to the base portion to close the at least one lateralopening into the channel to define a longitudinally open passagewaythrough the base portion for receiving and holding the cord, thepassageway having open opposite ends.
 9. The hook according to claim 8including a plurality of laterally open channels formed through the baseportion.
 10. The hook according to claim 9 wherein the stop closes allof the laterally open channels when the stop is attached to the base todefine a plurality of longitudinally open passageways through the baseportion for receiving and holding the cord, each passageway having openopposite ends.
 11. The hook according to claim 8 wherein the stop isremovably attachable to the hook to selectively open the lateral openinginto the channel so that the cord is laterally insertable into thechannel and laterally removed from said channel, and to selectivelyclose the lateral opening into the channel to define the passageway andto thereby entrap the cord within the passageway to prevent lateralmovement of the cord out of the passageway.
 12. The hook according toclaim 8 wherein the base portion includes outwardly facing walls thatare sloped outwardly in the direction from the upper portion of the baseportion adjacent the shank and extending toward the lowermost edge ofsaid base.
 13. The hook according to claim 12 wherein the stop comprisesa member having an open interior defined by inwardly facing walls, andwherein the stop engages the base portion with said inwardly facingwalls in a mating relationship with the outwardly facing walls of thebase portion.
 14. The hook according to claim 13 wherein the inwardlyfacing walls of the stop are sloped in the opposite direction of theoutwardly facing walls of the base portion when the stop is in themating relationship with the base portion.
 15. The hook according toclaim 13 wherein the stop includes an opening through a selected one ofsaid walls into said open interior through which said cord may beinserted laterally into said open interior.
 16. A hook comprising:a bodyhaving a curved section defining a hook, a shank adjacent the curvedsection, and a base adjacent the shank; a laterally open channel formedthrough the base, the channel being laterally open along the entirelength thereof through which a cord is laterally insertable into thechannel; clip means for closing the laterally open channel to therebydefine a passageway through the base for holding the cord.
 17. The hookaccording to claim 16 wherein the clip means comprises a memberselectively movable between a first position in which the clip closesthe lateral opening into the channel and a second position in which thelateral opening into the channel is open.
 18. The hook according toclaim 17 wherein the clip means comprises a member having an openinterior defined by inwardly facing walls and wherein the clip isconfigured to engage the base in the first position such that theinwardly facing walls of the clip are in a mating relationship withoutwardly facing walls on the base of the hook.
 19. The hook accordingto claim 18 wherein the clip means further comprises a tab extendingfrom an inwardly facing wall into said open interior, the tab having alength and a width and the tab positioned along such inwardly facingwall such that it is inserted at least partially into the channel whenthe clip is in the first position, the length of the tab defining thediameter of the passageway when the clip is in the first position. 20.The hook according to claim 16 including a plurality of laterally openchannels formed through the base, wherein the clip means is configuredfor closing each said laterally open channel to define a plurality ofpassageways through the base, each said passageway having open oppositeends.